TOKYO, JAPAN, March 5, 2004 --- NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that it will expand its 3G FOMA® service coverage to 99.9% of populated areas in the Kanto-Koshinetsu* region by the end of March 2004. The figure represents a 0.5-point rise from last December.
In addition, DoCoMo and its eight regional companies will expand FOMA's nationwide service coverage, up one percentage point from December to approximately 99% of the national population by the end of March.
As part of the ongoing expansion, DoCoMo is increasing the number of FOMA base stations in existing service areas. Base stations will increase to about 3,700 locations in the Kanto-Koshinetsu region and about 12,700 nationwide by the end of March. In-building Mobile Communications Systems (IMCS®) will increase to about 830 locations in the Kanto-Koshintesu region and about 1,600 nationwide, providing wider access to FOMA service in high-rise buildings, underground shopping malls and subway stations. DoCoMo is also planning to install base stations in all 147 subway stations of the Eidan subway network. In the future, DoCoMo plans to continue expanding its FOMA IMCS installations to provide customers with maximum access to 3G mobile communications.
*Note: Kanto-Koshinetsu includes greater Metropolitan Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Saitama, Gunma, Niigata, Yamanashi, and Nagano.
About NTT DoCoMo
NTT DoCoMo is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM), and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.docomo.ne.jp/english
i-mode and FOMA are trademarks or registered trademarks of
NTT DoCoMo's FOMA service is available only to subscribers in Japan.
IMCS is a registered trademark of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan.
